


Shadows of Hope

by Sephone_North



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Amelie needs to stop enabling him, F/M, Gabriel needs to stop adopting random kids, Nanowirmo 2016, Solana Naranjo Reyes, Sombra's beginnings, dad!Reyes, playing loose and fast with canon, the story of Overwatch from Sombra's adoption to the Fall
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-01
Updated: 2016-11-08
Packaged: 2018-08-28 12:28:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8445838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sephone_North/pseuds/Sephone_North
Summary: Solana stayed in the shadows, witnessing the rise and fall of Overwatch. Her father saved the world but died in the process. Her brother escaped but not unscathed, the victim of a ridiculous bounty. The woman she considered her mother threw herself into her work to hide. But every story has a beginning. This is the story of Sombra, and what led her to be who she is. This the story of Reaper, and what led him to join Talon. This is the story of Mercy, who played God and saved what shouldn't be saved. This is the story of McCree, who hid beneath a cowboy hat and drawl. This is the story of Overwatch. ---Nanowrimo 2016





	1. Hack Simulation

Solana sat beneath the covers of her bed, quietly tapping on the holographic keyboard of her tablet. Code danced across the screen, making her grin. The ten-year old had been reading code since before she could read words, thanks to a computer engineer mother, and this simple Trojan horse was literally child’s play. 

She didn’t intend anything malicious with the virus. She was just testing a theory, trying to hide an easy virus beneath a complex code. If it worked, she probably could get almost any password information from it. She probably wouldn’t use it for that, but it wasn’t a bad idea to have something in her back pocket. 

A small noise from one of the other beds made her pause. She tilted her head, trying to hear it better. One of the other girls had turned over, but the soft whimpers coming from her signaled that she was probably having a nightmare. 

That was part of the reason why Solana was breaking the lights out rule. Sleep invited nightmares, and there are only so often she could stand watching her parents die. So she continued to ignore the nuns and their rules, and typed away on her tablet. 

She finished the code and sighed. An evil idea popped into her head, and she smirked. The best way to see if it worked was to test it, of course. She opened up a browser and pulled up a random website, something O-care, and sent in an email to them with the virus hidden in a file of random part schematics. She figured some idiot would decide to open it up, and she would have an opening into their system. 

She closed the tablet down and hid it under her pillow, sliding down beneath her blankets. She had perhaps two hours before it was time to wake up, and that was probably a good enough time to get a little rest without falling into a nightmare. 

She was asleep the moment she closed her eyes. 

\---

“Again, Reyes,” Strike- Commander Gerard Lacroix barked, his harsh voice betrayed by the corner of his mouth tipping up. He hefted up his rifle, swung it up on his shoulder and stared down at one of his more promising agents. “You need to be faster.” 

“If I was any faster, _sir_ ,” the title was dripping with annoyed sarcasm, “I’d be phasing through walls.” 

“Sarcasm gets you nowhere, _mioche_ , except flat on your back,” Lacroix said, shaking his head. “Now get up and do it again.” 

“Yes sir,” Gabriel sighed, climbing to his feet. He rolled his shoulder, brought up his rifle and nodded to the simulation driver. The simulation reset, and Gabe took a deep breath to steady himself. As the buzz sounded, he began running into the building. 

The sim was that of a section of London, shops on both sides. His mission was simple, get to the EMP near the Omnic Development Factory, and set it off. So far, he’d gotten near it, but each time, he’d been shot by enemy turrets. His black armor was coated in layers of paint, from where they changed the colors between simulations. The most prominent was the neon pink from the last round. 

“I hate this,” Gabe muttered as he raced up stairs to a back alley. “Solo sims are stupid and he knows it.” 

But Gabe couldn’t deny that while solo simulations were annoying, they were good training. He had had missions where he’d gotten separated from his allies, and knowing how to work around turrets and omnics on his own were invaluable. Lacroix knew that as well, also knowing that Gabe was the most likely to go around the back to flank his enemies, and continuously forced the boy to run these sims. 

Gabe paused at a window overlooking the payload. He almost suck his head out, but immediately thought better of it. A sniper could be watching this particular window, and a simple glance could cost him his life. If it had been his job to defend this area, he’d have someone on this window, considering the easy view and decent vantage point. 

He fished out a small mirror from his tactical vest and held it out carefully. He tilted it, doing his best not to catch the light, but to also get a decent view of the scene below. He blinked and grinned sharply. The turret was in view, not completely hidden behind a wall and, even better, next to a window. 

Gabe put the mirror back and pulled out a smoke grenade. Last round, he had thrown the grenade and then jumped out the window, but the turret had ripped through the smoke with an amazing foresight and coated him judiciously in pink paint. He knew there was a line of it coating the wall down, with a Reyes shaped imprint all the way down. However, this time, he had a better plan. 

He grabbed a nearby chair and swung out to toss his grenade out the window at the turret. As it went off, the turret immediately turned to him, firing rapidly. He leaned back and kicked the chair out of the window. Had he been fighting a human, the trick wouldn’t have worked, but with a machine drawn to motion, it was a perfect decoy. 

He raced down the hallway, throwing himself down the stairs and moving as fast and quietly as physically possible. This building connected to an alley that led to the shop that the turret was positioned next to. If he moved fast enough, he could get to the window, throw two grenades and remove the turret from the simulation. He had forty seconds, barely less than a minute but he hoped it was enough time. 

He burst out of the alley, head tucked down. There wasn’t a lot of cover, and if he was defending this, he’d have try to have some form of sniper or turret on this path. However, luck was on his side, and there was no defensive measure. He was good, for now. 

A door stood between him and the shop, but it was wooden, not steel. Barely slowing himself down, he slammed his foot down and pivoted, bringing his other leg up to smash his boot into the door. Pain radiated up his leg, forcing a gasp from his lips, but the door crashed open, allowing him to get through. He grinned as his momentum almost threw him through the open door, but he was able to catch himself. However, putting weight on the leg he just used was a bad idea, as it almost crumpled beneath him.  
He cursed in Spanish under his breath, but pushed the pain to the back of his mind, forcing himself to keep running. He could feel adrenaline kicking in, deadening his leg slightly. He guessed he might have messed up his ankle, possibly even his entire leg, but he refused to let it stop him. He made it to the window and slide down the wall beneath it, gasping quietly. 

Gabe took a deep breath, and pushed to his feet, slamming the butt of his gun into the window. Smoke poured in, and he heard the turret registering the noise, moving to spin. He dropped down, pulled to grenades from his belt and almost flinched as the turret began to unload into the shop. Paintballs exploded against the far wall, which had been decorated with various knick-knacks that shattered under the fire. 

The next six seconds were probably the longest of Gabe’s life, but it passed, and he heard the tell-tale sound of a reload. In that moment, he primed his grenades tossed them, and immediately ran. His run was more of a limp, but it was enough that he was able to get past the door he’d kicked in and cut to the side before the grenades went off.  
Paint blasted through the shop, some even making its way through the doorway. Gabe grinned, but unfortunately, his job wasn’t finished. The grenade definitely gathered some attention, and he needed to get to the EMP and set it off. He gathered himself up, steadied himself again, and took off back through the building. 

Purple paint covered almost every surface, and the turret, while unharmed, buzzed loudly, signaling that it had been destroyed. He jumped through the window, rolling to try and keep his weight off of his leg. He got to his feet, took the two steps and grabbed the panel of the EMP. He ripped it open, typed in the passcode, and then dropped to the ground. As expected, omnics were rolling in and paintballs were flying above him. He was prone, open to fire, but he started to crawl behind the EMP. It hurt like hell, but he forced himself over and sighed. He heard the beep and then there was a flash through the sim. 

Everything close down, leaving Gabe sitting against the fake payload breathing. Lacroix stepped forward, and shook his head at the young man on the ground. 

“ _Félicitations_ , you moved faster, but how’s your leg?” He asked, kneeling down. 

“I think it’s messed up,” Gabe answered, reaching over to poke his shin. He hissed in pain and recoiled back. “Okay, more messed up than I thought. Shit.” 

Gerard sighed. “You’re an idiot, _mioche_. But you did it, so there is that.” 

“Well, I try to make you proud, sir.” Gabe glared at his leg. “Mind doing me a favor and helping me to the med bay?” 

“What do I look like, a crutch?” Gerard asked, though he slid his arm under Gabe’s and pulled him up. 

“Well, sir, you certainly ain’t a model,” Gabe shot back with a grimace, as the adrenaline began to drain from his system, making his leg ache with pain. 

“Careful, _micohe_ , I can drop you just as fast as I can carry you.” Gerard threatened. They made it to the door, when it hissed open, revealing Jack Morrison, eyes dark. 

“Sir, we just got orders. We’re needed in Dorado.” The blonde said, his voice sharp. “There has been a warning of an omnic attack. 

“The target?” Gerard asked, raising an eyebrow. 

Jack’s face tightened, his fists clenched. “Apparently, the target is an orphanage. We don’t know the reason. “

Gabe gasped, his eyes widening. This wasn’t the first time an orphanage had been attacked, but it was the only time an orphanage was the only target. Gerard’s shoulders tensed, and he nodded. 

“Take Gabe to the flight ship. I’ll have someone meet him there with his gear. Make sure the medic checks his leg out. I want it fixed before we land in Mexico. Tell the pilot that we’re having wheels up in ten, no excuses.” Gerard barked, giving Gabe a moment to stand on his own before letting go of the other soldier. He then stormed out of the room, scrambling the Overwatch forces. 

Jack slid his arm under Gabe’s arm, taking some of the weight, raising an eyebrow, “Damn Gabe, what’d you do to your leg?” They began making their way towards the plane, going probably faster than was good for him. He just gritted his teeth against the pain. 

“Dude, I got into a fight with a door,” Gabe said with a lopsided grin. 

“I’m guessing the door won?” Jack asked dryly. 

“Haha, no,” He said. “I won. Beat the sim too.” 

“You sure? You’re a little pink.” 

“Aesthetic, Jack. I’m a pretty, pretty princess.” 

“You’re a lunatic, that’s what you are. Come on, let’s make sure the medic gets to see you. If you’re lucky, it’ll be the pretty blonde, instead of the creepy guy.” 

“Dude, I pray it’s the blonde. She fills out that angel suit so much better.”


	2. Hidden Angels

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for anybody who speaks French, Spanish or German in this entire story. I am trying to keep it simple and have it make sense, but I'm using google and google translate. If you see a mistake, please tell me!

Solana woke up to screams. This wasn’t abnormal. Generally Felipa woke up in the middle of the night from a night terror, so she was used to screams. What she wasn’t used to was the accompanying explosions and gunshots. She gasped and rolled out of bed, grabbing her tablet on the way. She hit the floor with a soft thud, doing her best to keep the tablet from hitting the ground. 

An explosion sounded from down the hall, probably from the sanctuary. Solana whimpered, crawling across the floor, trying to get away from the door. 

An old priest hole was hidden on the opposite end of the room. It had been created back in the early 40’s, when a government shift meant that all religion was made illegal and priests needed a place to hide form execution. Though the laws had been repealed, it didn’t mean that the holes had been removed or that they couldn’t be used. 

Solana had found it one day when she was looking around for a decent place to hide and play on her tablet. She had noticed the imprint in the wall and the cracks and easily figured out how to open it. She had put the door back quickly, keeping it her own personal secret in case she ever had to hide. She hadn’t thought she’d have to hide from something like this. 

A close scream made her freeze, then scurry under the bed right next to the hole. She had seen the other girls running out of the room, trying to get to a form of safety. Now, she could see someone curled up against the wall, no doubt crying. Solana almost thought about trying to help her, but she couldn’t move. The moment was too familiar. 

She had been eight when her parents died. Her mother was a computer engineer for a big corporation, while her father repaired personal computers. She remembered the day that the bad men came. She remembered hiding under her parent’s bed, watching her mother back into the bedroom, begging and begging to live, knowing her father was already dead. She remembered them asking where she was, and her mother’s lie that she was at a friend’s house. She remembered the moment where the bad men figured they had everything from her mother. She remembered the gunshot, the thud as her mother hit the floor, the glassy look as the blood poured out the hole in her mother’s forehead. She remembered covering her mouth, forcing herself not to breathe, because the bad men were still there and they would find her. 

Fear gripped her, stealing the breath from her lungs. She couldn’t escape, would never be able to run from the shadow of death that followed her. She sat there, images of her mother’s dead eyes drifting into her view as she stared at the feet of another little girl who was no doubt about to die. 

She was going to die

\---

Angela Ziegler pursed her lips as she focused on the stream of nanobots wrapping itself around Reyes’s leg. She had fixed the worst of the damage, a hairline fracture in the tibia with a crack in the talus, but was now making sure that nothing flared up later. They didn’t know the degree of the fight on the ground, and she wouldn’t have one of their best agents laid up. Not on her watch. 

Finally satisfied with how everything how healed, she ran a final scan and then smiling up at Reyes. “All better,” She said brightly, leaning back. Reyes grinned and stood up, bouncing on the leg slightly. He nodded, then held a hand to help her up. 

“You do good work, Doc,” he said. She wrinkled her nose as she placed her hand in his. He pulled her up. “What’s wrong?” 

“My name is not Doc,” She said, a little snippy. It wasn’t the worst thing in the world, but it was a large pet peeve of hers, the nickname Doc. Angela didn’t understand why   
Americans always felt the need to shorten everything. “You may call me Doctor, or Doctor Ziegler.” 

Reyes’s eyebrow raised and his face turned a little stiff. Angela was almost worried that she had offended him (and really, what did he have to be offended about?) when she noticed the corners of his eyes tilting up in amusement. 

He opened his mouth, no doubt to make fun of her, when Morrison interrupted, “Gabe, now that you’re done, let’s go. Commander Lacroix has the mission details. He’s been waiting on you.” 

“Alright, alright. I’m on my way. Calm down, dude,” Reyes said, rolling his eyes. He smiled at Angela and titled his head. “Ladies first.” Angela nodded at his politeness and stepped forward to follow Morrison to where the rest of the team was standing. 

Strike-Commander Lacroix stood at the table, fingers tapping the surface. Multiple images cycled through, each one making him scowl more. He was a tall broad man, dark skin and even darker hair. His eyes, the color of coffee in a pot, were narrowed on the table, as if glaring at it would bring him the answers he wanted. 

Angela felt a little intimidated, stepping up to the table. She was the shortest, except for Liao, who stood at 5’5”. It felt like everyone else towered over her, and it didn’t help that Reyes stood on her right and Morrison on her left. Sandwiched between them only made her feel smaller. 

“Alright, here’s what we know,” Lacroix said, waving an arm at the hologram table. “The Omnics are planning an attack on the Santa Maria church and orphanage in Dorado,   
Mexico. We don’t know why. This is the first time they’ve led an attack on such a location. Hopefully, we’ll land on the ground before they do.” 

Angela couldn’t help the soft gasp as the church appeared on the hologram. Her hand came up to her mouth to try and stifle it. She didn’t understand why anyone would attack innocent children. 

A warm hand pressed between her shoulder blades. She blinked and glanced behind her. Reyes was staring, eyes flashing, at the table, but his hand was on her back. He glanced at her and began to pull his hand back, but she shook her head, leaning back slightly. He nodded and they both turned back to the table, his presence a comfort. 

“If we’re lucky, and pray to whatever gods you believe in that we are, we’ll be able to defend this place. Best method is to evacuate the civilians into the cellar. We shore up the door and make sure no _ferraille_ gets to these kids.” Lacroix glanced up at the soldiers surrounding the table, “Reyes, you speak Spanish, you’re on point with the civilians.   
Ishikawa, Singh, do with him. Try to smile, you two. Morrison, you and Bayless are with the doctor. Keep her safe. I’ll take point with Igwe and Liao. Liao, stay away from the kids. No doubt you’d terrify them with your mas-“ 

“Sir,” Gabrielle Adawe said from a wall console. She turned to face him, looking uncharacteristically grim. “We’re-“ She paused, swallowing before continuing “We are not defending the church.” 

There was a moment of silence as her words washed over them. Angela blinked back sudden tears. They were too late. 

“ _Mon Dieu_ ,” Lacroix whispered, slumping over slightly. He shook his head, raising his hands to rub his face. He seemed to gather himself before straightening and nodded. 

“Alright men, change of plans. Reyes, you’re still on point with any civilians. We’re no doubt going to be running into some form of local response. Make sure they understand why we’re there. Morrison, Igwe, you two have field medic training, stay with the Doctor, help her however she needs. Doctor, there’s a good chance that you’re going to be more busy than originally planned.” 

Angela nodded, trying to steel herself. The hand still pressed on her back began rubbing in circles. 

“Everyone else, search and rescue. Destroy any omnics still in the area. Adawe, your job is to make us a command tent. Give us a place to work from. We touch down in Dorado in ten minutes, so get ready. Everyone understand?” 

“Sir, yes sir!” Every soldier chorused, with Angela echoing them. She winced, embarrassed, but no one pointed out her mistake. Everyone began to disperse, heading to their equipment lockers. Reyes pushed her gently to her own locker, before making his way to his own. 

Angela opened her locker and smiled at her suit. The wings were folded up to fit inside, a engineering marvel of her own design. She had pushed and pushed for the development of the Valkyrie swift-response suit. She was extremely grateful for Commander Lacroix for approving the build, and Lindholm for building it. 

She pulled the chest piece on, snapping up the front clasps. She wiggled slightly, allowing it settle comfortably over her frame. Once she put on the wings, there would be little chance of adjustment. Once satisfied, she pulled the wings over her shoulders, attaching the front clasps onto her chest piece. Carefully, she let go, letting the weight settle on her. Then she checked behind her to make sure no one was too close, and activated her wings. 

She felt her back straighten as they extended and whirred to life. Every time she put the wings on, she felt stronger, better. This is a tool of her design, meant to help and defend, granting her a form of maneuverability that had never been had before. It made her feel important and more confident. 

“I still don’t understand why the damn thing is white,” Reyes’s voice caught her attention, making her look over at him. He was wearing a bulletproof tactical vest over a hoodie, a black beanie covering his head. Grenades wrapped around his waist, and he had a shotgun propped up against one shoulder, the other hanging from a belt. He stood in sharp contrast to Morrison, who was pulling on his bright blue coat. Reyes tilted his head towards his fellow soldier, “It’s almost as bad as that blue.” 

“It’s the Overwatch uniform,” Morrison said stiffly. “Which you should be wearing.” 

“If I wanted to be painted a target, dude, I’d go out in neon green.” Reyes shook his head. “Both of you are asking for a sniper shot to the back of the head. I mean, Doctor Ziegler   
here is practically glow in the dark.” 

Angela blushed. “My wings do have lights,” she said, a little sheepish. “So in a way, I do glow.” 

Reyes shook his head. “That suit’s gonna get you killed, dude. We need to come up with a better color at the least.” 

“Medics need to be seen by our allies on the battlefield.” Morrison argued. “That way we know where they and can direct them to injured soldiers.” 

“If I’m not mistaken, the Valkyrie suit takes care of that,” Reyes shot back, “She can register injured soldiers on the battlefield faster than we can, and then rocket to them before we’re even shouting for medic. Right?” He asked, glancing at her confirmation. She nodded, glad that someone understood the point of her suit. “So making her even more of a walking target by keeping her in white and gold is just asking for an enemy counter. I vote we put her in some camo or something darker at least.” 

“Invisible medic?” Liao offered, stepping forward. His swords were sheathed on his back and his eagle mask sitting on the top of his head. “I’m pretty sure that R and D working on some form of cloaking project.” 

“See, that’s almost perfect!” Reyes crowed, turning to Morrison victoriously. “Invisible medics are nearly impossible to snipe. We’d just have to make sure we had a system that alerted us to her position, so we didn’t accidentally shoot her.” 

Morrison opened his mouth to argue back, when Lacroix called out “Men, get ready. We’re landing.” 

There was a soft bump, as the ship settled onto the ground, one of the smoothest landing Angela had ever been a part of. She rolled her shoulder, shoved her pistol into its holster and brought up her Caduceus staff. Morrison and Ichikawa stepped forward, shouldering their rifles. Bayless stood on her right, while Reyes stood on her left.   
“Hopefully, it’s not too bad,” Bayless murmured. Angela almost whispered an agreement, when the bay doors opened. 

There was a moment of silence, of disbelief, before the scene registered. There was only rubble. Whatever this church had been, there was nothing left to even suggest a structure. Fires burned, and people were working to put them out. Other forms with dogs were climbing through the ruins, searching for survivors. 

“ _Mein Gott_ ,” Angela whispered as she stared. Morrison and Ichikawa lowered their weapons, stepping out of the transport. A local in some form of uniform came running, speaking rapid fire Spanish. Reyes stepped forward, already replying in the same language, gesturing towards the disaster before them. They spoke for a full minute, before Reyes turned, his face grim. 

“So far, they haven’t found any survivors, but they have found quite a few bodies. The male dorm is almost completely dug out. Apparently thought, the steeple fell, crashing into where the female dorm was. They aren’t expecting survivors there either.” Reyes paused, taking a deep breath. “All the omnics either retreated detonated. There is one intact one over there.” He pointed to a group of people in a circle. 

“Alright. Doctor, stay ready in case we find anyone. Singh, head over to the Omnic body and see if you can’t pull any information from it. We need to know why. Everyone else, minimum weapons and help with the rescue efforts.” Lacroix ordered. 

The local officer spoke quickly, gesturing towards Angela. Reyes glanced at him and nodded. He looked at Lacroix, “He wants to know if the doctor would be willing to check the bodies. They want to make sure that their emergency response teams are right. Personally, I think they just hope they’re wrong.” 

Lacroix turned to Angela, and she immediately nodded, tightening her grip on her staff. “I’m ready, sir.” He nodded, and Reyes explained. The local immediately began walking, and Angela hurried to follow him. 

She had seen tragedies. She had worked with multiple emergency response teams around the world during her college years, and she had done her residency with a disaster relief team. She had seen death on a mass scale. 

But there was something about the rows of small bodies, all of them still, that tore her heart apart. Her stomach rolled, and she forced down the nausea. She straightened, closed her eyes, and focused. Emotions would not help her here. Emotions would not help anyone. She needed to focus on the task, turn off her feelings, and try to save as many people as possible. 

Opening her eyes, Angela got to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations  
> ferraille- French- scrap metal  
> mon dieu - French - My God  
> Mein Gott - German - My God
> 
> Pretty much all of the Overwatch agents mentioned in this chapter are actual agents. Most of them got a full name from me, while others kinda got a personality (Liao). 
> 
> Angela is 22 years old.


	3. Dust, Blood, Hope

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While it doesn't seem graphic to me, there is some depiction of the death of children in this chapter. I'm sorry, but I did my best to keep it vague while still properly depicting the emotion of the scene. 
> 
> Please read at your own risk.

Solana coughed as she came back to consciousness, dust coating the inside of her mouth and throat. She didn’t remember where it all had come from. She only remembered seeing the omnics enter the room and in her panic, yanking the priest hole door open and shoving herself through. 

She was pretty sure the omnic had heard her, but there was a gunshot as the door cracked against the wall, so she didn’t know. Then, as she was trying to close it, there had been a huge grating noise, something she had felt in her very bones. 

Then it had all gone black. 

It was still dark. She couldn’t see anything, and she felt a horrible sense of dread settle in her chest. This was her coffin. She was going to die underground. Panic welled up and her hands started shaking. She looked up, desperately looking for light. 

A pinprick shone through, barely enough to actually be considered light, at the very top. She shoved her way up, trying to reach for it, scrabbling at the walls. Something shifted, and more dust poured in, causing her to choke. Her eyes burned. She coughed, grabbing at the walls to try and keep standing. Her hand brushed against something metallic and she gripped it tightly. She ran her hands over it and realized that it was her tablet. 

She tapped frantically, and it lit up sluggishly, the cracked screen flickering. It was enough though, allowing her to see something in her hole. 

She looked up, squinting, trying to see what was up there. Somehow a bedframe had shoved itself between the trapdoor and the floor, propping the door open. But it wasn’t on top of the frame, simply propped against it, so any movement might cause it to slide down, closing forever and trapping her. 

There was a little hole next to it, where she could see the light coming down. It wasn’t enough, but it was something. 

Her tablet flickered again and she flinched back. A scream built up in her chest, and she tried to yell, but only a creak escaped her. Her throat hurt, her mouth dry and she felt like she couldn’t breathe. 

She was going to die. 

Her tablet finally gave up, dropping her in complete darkness, except that tantalizing point of light just out of reach. Solana curled up in a ball and began to cry, huge racking sobs that caused her entire body to burn and ache. She couldn’t stop. She just sat and cried, awaiting death. 

\----

Gabriel leaned down, trying to push back all emotions. Clean up was always daunting work, and not generally something a strike team had to do, but Singh was still working on getting the information for the omnic body, so the rest of the agents had decided to be helpful. It wasn’t nice work, pulling the bodies of children out of the wreckage. It broke his heart more with every moment, because so far, there had been no survivors. Every adult they had found, the ten nuns and the two priests had all died from bullets to the head. The boys dorm had already been excavated out. Most of them had died from the omnics directly, going the same path as their elders. Some had been crushed to death from the collapsing church. Some had been killed by explosions. 

The girls dorm was the worst. When the church had finally given way to the damage, the steeple had crashed straight on top of it. Any of the girls who might’ve survived the omnics had died from the weight of the cut stone dropping down. The chances of survivors here was practically nonexistent. 

The corner of a nightgown peeked out from beneath a rock. He really didn’t want to move the stone, knowing what he would find underneath. He felt his stomach roll and had to stand, to get away from the inevitable. 

“Why are we still here?” Jack growled from nearby. Gabe turned to look at him. Blood coated the hem of the other agent’s bright blue coat, ruining the usual clean appearance. He stood there, arms crossed, harsh scowl on his face. “We should be heading back in case of another Omnic attack.” 

“Singh is still working,” Gabe pointed out dully. “Can’t leave before we get out intel.” 

“Then why are we pulling clean up? It’s ruining moral.” 

“Yeah, but someone has to do it,” Gabe shrugged. “It makes us look more human, when we’re willing to get in the dirt and help some people. Yeah, it’s bad and harsh and I’m sure most of us are going to have nightmares, but we have to. Somebody has to do this.” 

“Why does it have to be us?” Jack shot back, shifting his weight, obviously uncomfortable. 

Gabe racked his memory, trying to remember when Jack had ever had to do something like this. They had both been in some deep shit, been elbow deep in wars and battles. But usually, when it came time to wrap everything up, to bury the bodies or find the survivors, if Overwatch was even there, Jack was always hanging behind Lacroix playing public relations. He had never honestly dug a grave or dragged the corpse out of the fire. He got to play mouthpiece. 

Gabriel was one of the ones who worked with the survivors. He was the one who squared his shoulders, pulled out the living or the dead. He was the one with the shovel, back to back with the poor local people who had just lost their everything. 

But he kept his thoughts to himself, just sighed. “We’re in the area. We have to be here anyways. It lets the people see that we’re real. Real heroes aren’t the ones who kill the bad guys, dude. They’re the ones who fix the broken.” He glanced over to the med tent, where he could see the glow of golden and white wings. “In the end, all we are are soldiers.” 

Jack went silent, following his gaze. He glanced back at Gabe, raising an eyebrow. “You have a thing for the nurse?” 

“First, she’s a doctor. Call her a nurse to her face. I want to see her attach your dick to your forehead. Of course, that’s if Kimiko doesn’t punch you for being condescending,” Kimiko Ichikawa was nothing if not a stickler for proper titles of respect. It came with being Japanese. “Second, respect is not a thing. So try not to be an asshole,” Gabe said, shaking his head. 

Jack just scoffed. “Whatever lets you sleep at night, Reyes.” 

“I sleep just fine, Jackie.” Gabe shot back, then he froze. Something had caught his eye, a shift in the rubble to his right. He took a step towards it carefully, trying not to cause another shift. 

“Gab-“ Jack started, but Gabriel shushed him, waving a hand. He continued stepping lightly, taking note of what he was seeing. A bedframe was sticking out from a pile of stone. From the angle he was at, it almost looked like there are some sort of wooden piece propped up against it. He tilted his head, and immediately stopped again, as what sounded like someone crying caught his attention. 

He turned to Jack and barked out, “Get Ziegler,” before he turned back to try and see how he could go about prying the stone away without dropping anything down. He grabbed a rock, shoving it under the door to keep it open, then began to carefully move the stones around, opening a path to a dark hole below. He heard a choked gasp from below and mentally cheered. 

Jack activated his radio, “Sir, I think we’ve got a live one. Doc, you might want to get over here.” 

\----

Angela had just finished helping a civilian rescue worker who had cut his hand when she heard Morrison’s call on the radio. She immediately grabbed her staff and locked onto Morrison’s position, activating her wings as fast as she could. He had barely finished calling her before she landed lightly beside him, startling him slightly. 

“Where are they?” She said briskly. She was a doctor, not a coroner, and the past hour had pushed her limits more than was comfortable. She was tired of death. She wanted to know that someone was alive. 

Morrison blinked, turning towards Reyes, who had used two rocks to prop open some form of door and was pulling other stones out of the way. He was speaking quietly, Spanish rolling off of his tongue. Angela had no idea what he was saying, but he was speaking to someone and that was all that mattered. She stepped forward, awaiting some form of information. 

A small voice, cracking on each word came from the hole. It was soft and broken, but it was voice. Reyes turned his head to her, a brilliant grin on his face, and she found herself answering it with one of her own. There was someone alive! A child, it sounded like, but 

Death had not won here. A small person was in that hole, still breathing. 

She knelt, opening her mouth to ask, when he cut her off, anticipating her question, “I already asked. She said that nothing felt broken, but it hurt to breathe and talk. I’m not sure if that is just the dust inhalation or something else, but that’s good, right?” 

“At the moment, it is perfect,” She answered quietly. “Can she get out?” 

“She says that the lip is too high. When Lacroix gets over here, I’m going to have him and Jack clear the rock so we can open this more. Then I’ll lower myself down and hand her off to you,” He explained. 

“If there enough room down there?” She asked. 

“I’ll ask,” He said and stuck his head back in the hole. He rattled something off and tilted his head to listen closely. The reply interrupted by a harsh cough, but the little girl kept speaking, croaking out her words. Reyes replied, his voice gentle and deep. He glanced up as Lacroix came running, Liao and Bayless behind him. 

“Little girl,” He said. “Can you guys clear the rock off the door so we can open this more?” He asked. Liao and Morrison both nodded, shifting the stone off. Reyes grabbed the door,   
holding it up so it didn’t come crashing down. There was a few tense moments, but soon, he was able to push it all the way open. Angela caught a stone before it went crashing down.   
Reyes grunted a small thanks as he let go of the door. 

“She said there enough room for me to jump down, if I give her warning. I’m going to pick her up and hand her off to the doctor so she can do her stuff. Alright?” Reyes said to Lacroix, who just nodded. Reyes said something down, no doubt a warning. When he got his reply, he pressed his hands down at the edge of the hole and began lowering himself in. 

Angela heard Liao mutter something under his breath, but she couldn’t make it out. She did see Lacroix shoot him a look that turned exasperated. The commander muttered back a soft “Probably” as Reyes dropped all the way down. Only his shoulders and head were visible out of it. 

He reached down and gathered up the girl. Angela scooped her up and carried her over to another area, settling down so she could check the girl over. She forced down her own joy.   
She could cry later, but for now, she had work to do.


	4. Realizations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I attempted to write emotional trauma. I properly failed, but I tried. I also wrote a joke that might be seen as offensive by some, but in all honesty, it's not any different than any jokes i make about myself and my culture. So I feel that most humor is subjective, and if you don't like it, then you don't like it.

Solana found herself sitting under the cover of a hard light tent, wrapped in a bright blue jacket from the tall black man who seemed to be in charge. A beautiful angel was poking her and inspecting her. She had already gotten Solana to drink some water, forcing her to sip it instead of gulp it down. Now, she was curled up under the weird tent, staring out at the rubble of the church that used to be her home. 

The other agents were near her, talking. She could hear them. She figured they didn’t know that she could speak English, or else they would move. Solana wasn’t going to tell them yet, because she needed to know what happened. At the moment, they were talking about her. 

“Doctor says that other than dust inhalation and shock, the little girl is fine. Somehow, she’d found that hole and was able to get into it before everything went completely to hell,” The man who picked her up out of the hole was speaking. He stood straight, hands behind his back. His skin was slightly darker than her own, more chocolate than her mocha. He was wearing a beanie, which she almost found funny. He stood out against the other agents with his dark clothes compared to their bright blues. 

“ _Dieu Merci_ ,” the tall black man who had given her his coat said. He had an odd accent, something she knew but couldn’t place. He sighed, looking out over the rubble. “We needed some good news from this. Good job on finding her, Reyes.” 

“I’d like to say it wasn’t luck, sir. Unfortunately, it was,” Reyes said, his voice dryly amused. 

“ _Dī-shuǐ-chuān-shí_ ,” another man said, much smaller than his counterparts. His words seemed to hold wisdom, though she couldn’t understand what he said. 

“What does that mean?” The black man said, tilting his head with a small grin. 

“Dripping water can eat through a stone,” the man explained in the same wise tone. Reyes blinked and raised an eyebrow.

“Are you just throwing random Chinese proverbs at me to see what sticks?” he asked. 

“It means that if you persevere, you can win, you idiot.” The smaller man snapped. “Geesh, why do I try to educate you people? Get some culture, Reyes!” 

“I have culture, Liao. Its taco trucks and traffic jams,” Reyes shot back. He caught a blonde man’s disapproving look. “I’m from LA, dude. It’s a joke.” 

“Enough, children,” the tall man said, chuckling slightly. He sighed. “Is she going to be the only one we find?”   
The question killed any joking. All of them slumped slightly, causing a shiver to go down Solana’s spine. Apparently, she was the only one alive. 

‘Isn’t that was how it always is?’ she thought bitterly. ‘When the bad men attacked home, I was the only one who lived. Now, the omnics attacked us and I’m still the only one who lived.’ She wrapped the coat around her tighter, squeezing her eyes closed. Maybe it was all a bad dream and she could wake up, safe and warm under the covers of her old home, her mother yelling for her to get up. 

Footsteps came crunching up. “Sir, we found the reasoning behind the attack,” the new person said. His voice wasn’t as deep as the others, but it was heavy. Solana shivered. 

“Report,” the tall man said. 

“Apparently, the omnics were reacting to a security breach in their systems. One of the companies under the Omnica umbrella, a small repair line called O-care, got hacked with a Trojan horse virus. It spread significantly enough that the omnics acted. They tracked the source of the virus to here.” 

Whatever else was said was lost on Solana. All she could focus on was the information playing around in her head. A virus caused this. A small Trojan virus sent to a stupid company. A stupid company that shouldn’t have been anything more than a repair company. A small Trojan virus that somehow had spread in a few hours because it was hidden in schematics and layers of code. 

_Her virus._

She had done this. This was her fault. Everything that happened, all of it, was her fault. The crashed church, the dead bodies. Everything was her. 

Felipa, Esmerelda, Maria, all dead because of her. Enrique, Miguel, Desi, all gone, because of her. She had killed them with her virus, with her stupidity. 

Sister Carina had been killed because Solana had been playing with something bigger than her. 

A moan escaped her throat. “ _Lo siento, lo siento,_ I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” Her entire body started shaking as she began to babble apologies. “I didn’t mean this, I’m sorry. _Todo esto es mi culpa._ ”   
Angela heard the moan before the others. She immediately turned to see the little girl start shaking violently. Words poured from her, both English and Spanish. She moved forward, attempting to comfort the girl. 

Reyes was next to the little girl so quickly, it almost felt as if he’d teleported. He began murmuring in Spanish, comforting things by the sound of his tone. Whatever he was saying, it wasn’t enough, because now the little girl was screaming. 

“NO! _LOS MATÉ!_ I KILLED THEM! _ERA MÍO! FUE MI VIRUS!_ I DID THIS!” She thrashed against the coat around her shoulders. “I SHOULD’VE DIED. I ALWAYS SHOULD’VE DIED!” She screeched, finally freeing herself and throwing herself on the ground. She slammed her fist into the ground, repeating, “I SHOULD’VE DIED.” Over and over again. 

Reyes glanced at Angela completely lost as to what to do. She wished Ana was here. The older sniper always carried sedatives with her. Angela’s were in the kit still on the dropship. She felt useless for a moment, floundering. 

“Doctor, sedatives?” Lacroix asked, stepping forward. 

“Med kit in the ship,” she answered. Lacroix nodded and turned, but Liao had already taken off, bouncing over piles of stone like a rabbit. 

Angela felt useless. She was a battlefield medic, but most of the people she worked with were either panicking from pain and injuries, which she was able to fix easily with her nanobots. She very rarely dealt with problems like this, and it made her flounder. Nanobots can’t stop guilt or panic attacks, or anything emotional. She felt like she should be able to help, but she just didn’t know what to do. 

Reyes had apparently had enough of seeing the tiny little girl screaming on the ground. He reached down and scooped her up, pulling her to his chest, still murmuring words, alternating between Spanish and English. From what Angela could understand, he wasn’t saying anything other than “Quiet little one,” over and over again. The girl had fought him, slamming her fists against his chest. He just held her, rubbing her back and letting her hit him. 

As Liao bounced back to the tent, the girl had finally worked herself out of her fit. She sat, curled against Reyes, looking smaller than she actually was compared to his large frame. She stared out, fingers wrapped curled around one of the pockets of Reyes’s tactical vest. Liao handed Angela the sedative, but she wasn’t sure if she use it now. 

Lacroix knelt down. “Little one, what did you mean when you said this was your virus?” He asked. Reyes shot him a dirty look, shoulders tensing and arms tightening slightly. The little girl’s eyes flickered to Lacroix and then back to the ruined church. 

“I was playing with a virus. I rewrote some of the code. I sent it to this company. It was just to see how long it could go undetected. I didn’t mean for this. I didn’t mean for everyone to di-“ She choked on the last word and froze. Her eyes went blank and it honestly looked like she shut down completely. Reyes wrapped his arms tighter around her and began whispering his soothing words again, gently and quietly. 

Lacroix sighed and stood, rubbing his face with his hands. “That,” He shook his head. “That was not what I expected,” He said softly. “ _Merde._ ” 

“Sir, what do we do?” Singh asked. 

“We should take Solana with us,” Reyes said sharply. He looked up, his dark eyes a challenge, a tiny girl pressed against his chest. Angela heard Liao mutter a quiet “Told ya so,” while caused Lacroix to send him a sharp look. 

“Solana?” Lacroix asked, turning back to Reyes. “When did you get her name?” 

“When I was digging her out of that hole,” He answered sharply. “We should take her back to Overwatch.” 

“Why?” Morrison asked, stepping forward. “She’s a child, worth no value to us.” 

“She’s traumatized and needs medical attention. She also wrote a virus that scared the omnics into attacking a church. She can’t be over eight years old. She survived said attack. She obviously doesn’t have a family, since this was an orphanage. She has nowhere to go, and if the omnics find out she’s still alive, they will kill her.” Reyes rattled off. “When she grows up, she could be an asset to Overwatch.” 

“She’ll need therapy,” Angela interjected. “She’ll need someone who is willing to take her in and work with her.” 

“Doubt she’ll have a problem finding that,” Singh whispered to Liao. The Chinese man laughed under his breath, causing Lacroix to shoot both of them a harsh glare. They quieted, snapping to attention. 

“Overwatch is not a place for a child,” Morrison argued. 

“Good, you tell Ana that when we get back,” Reyes shot back. “I’m sure she and Faheera will completely agree with you.” 

“It would be better to send her to a hospital. We don’t have the time or facilities to deal with this,” Morrison snapped. He turned to Angela, “Correct, Dr. Ziegler?” 

Lacroix looked at her and she opened her mouth. She paused, thought about it, and took a deep breath. “We do have the facilities,” She said, almost wincing at the shift in Morrison’s face. “Time can easily be made, as it always is for any patient. It would not be a burden to help rehabilitate and then find her a family.” 

Lacroix didn’t smile, but his eyes did crease slightly in amusement. He turned back to Reyes, who stared up at him, eyes narrowed. The man looked nothing more than a guard dog, itching to rip apart anyone attempting to harm the little girl in his arms. 

“Reyes, take the girl on the ship. We’ll take her to headquarters. Morrison, no,” He snapped, as the blonde soldier opened his mouth to argue. “Reyes brings up good points, and to be honest, I want to know more about this virus. Obviously, she has some skill with coding. She could be an asset, once she grows up a little.” 

Reyes breathed out a sigh of relief and stood, not shifting the girl at all. She was very still, eyes still staring. Angela winced, recognizing the symptoms of catatonia. They had a struggle before them in helping her. He started towards the drop ship. 

“Morrison, gather the team. Singh, you and Adawe are with the civilians. There are some that speak English, so neither of you should have a problem communicating with them. Tell them that we’re taking the child for medical purposes. If they fight you on it, come get me.” Lacroix said. Morrison snapped a salute, though his face was stormy. He and Singh took off, moving quickly. 

Liao shook his head. “So, when are you calling Amelié?”

Angela blinked from her gathering of her tool, looking at Liao in confusion. Lacroix just sighed, rubbing his face again. 

“I know, I know. Prying that little girl from him is going to be nearly impossible. You don’t have to keep reminding me,” The commander said, his voice tired. 

“What?” Angela asked, confused. Both men turned to look at her. Liao just grinned. 

“Oh, you don’t know. Reyes has a bad habit of adopting things.” He glanced at Lacroix, “Remember the crow incident?”

“That stupid thing brought an entire flock to the gardens, and we still can’t get rid of them,” Lacroix nodded. “Reyes keeps feeding them.” 

“He keeps the shiny things they bring him in his locker.” Liao added. “And then there was the kitten incident.” 

“Which he cheated and got Faheera to assist him in keeping the damn thing.” Lacroix groaned. “I didn’t realize that this was going to be the next escalation.”

“I saw it coming the moment Morrison said they had a live one. Little Mexican kid in an orphanage who somehow survived one of the worst omnic attack we’ve ever seen, and he just had to be the one to find her?” Liao chuckled “Perfect storm, my friend, perfect storm.”

“Yes, yes. I’ll make sure Amelié is working on the adoption papers the moment we touch wheels in Switzerland. Happy?” Lacroix muttered. 

“Estatic,” Liao deadpanned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My language attempts  
> Dieu Merci - French - Thank God  
> Lo siento - Spanish - I'm Sorry  
> Todo esto es mi culpa. - Spanish - This is my fault  
> LOS MATÉ - Spanish - I killed them   
> ERA MÍO - Spanish- It was Mine  
> FUE MI VIRUS - SPanish- It was my Virus


	5. Filling silence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YAY! No languages to mess up this chapter!!
> 
> Though, I'm probably messing up the medical stuff. Ugh, oh well. please enjoy. 
> 
> Also, first chapter where we only focus on one character. Interesting.
> 
> Notes on the Sombra release at the end.

Angela watched as Reyes laid little Solana down on the hospital bed. He ran a hand over her forehead, then grabbed the blanket and pulled it up. The girl didn’t react, eyes unfocused and barely blinking, as she continued staring out. Once he was done, he turned to her. 

“She is catatonic,” Angela explained quietly. He nodded and sighed. “I have some medication that I can give her that can help her out of it. Unfortunately, she will need quite a bit of therapy after this.” 

“I know,” He said softly. He pulled the beanie off his head and rubbed his short hair. “What can I do?” 

“At the moment? There is not much,” She gulped and licked her lips. “You do need to know something. I researched everything I could on this, to make sure I knew that I was giving the best treatment. There is a chance she will not recover from this. The prognosis of catatonia has never been great.” 

Reyes simply stared at her for a moment. “And there isn’t anything I can do?” 

“Right now, I suggest simply being here as often as possible. That is all I can offer.” 

“Okay then,” He pulled out the chair in the corner and began to sit down. Angela stopped him, grabbing his arm. 

“Wait,” She said exasperated. “You are a mess! Go get cleaned up, report with Commander Lacroix, and then you may sit in here. I cannot let you stay as you are right now.”

He hesitated, looking from her to Solana. He opened his mouth, and Angela immediately nodded before he could speak. “I will sit with her until you return. Allow me to change into some scrubs and get my paperwork and then you go.” 

“Alright Doctor,” He said quietly. She let go of him and hurried out of the room, straight to her office.

It was a cramped little thing, barely big enough to hold her desk, a filing cabinet, and a table against the wall. The table was where she worked on her nanobots, improving them and trying to design newer and better ways to use them. She was one of the two people on this floor to get her own office. The other one was Head Doctor Giulio Tosto. Everyone else had to share, generally to their own discontentment. 

She quickly pulled off her chest plate, trying to shed off the Kevlar under suit as quickly as possible. She had left her wings on the ship as always, so it wasn’t as difficult as it could’ve been. She pulled open the bottom drawer of her cabinet to pull out a new pair of scrubs. They were lilac, and she worked to pull them on. 

She had just pulled on the bottoms, when the doorknob twisted. She jumped, spinning, pressing her scrub top to her chest. The door opened, revealing Doctor Ethan Thompson.   
He was of medium height and conventionally attractive. His hair was dark brown, while his eyes were a burning blue. He was dressed in a blue dress shirt that brought out his eyes and black slacks, with a white coat over it. He looked her up and down, taking in her half-dressed state, and smirked. 

“Ah, Doctor Ziegler. Glad to have caught you at such a good time.” His Australian accent was barely noticeable, but still there. She knew he had gone extensive speech therapy to remove it after he immigrated to England. 

“Is this a good time, Doctor Thompson?” She asked, forcing herself to be polite. Thompson was, in a single phrase, an asshole. He believed that he was smarter than her, simply because he was older and male. Angela had once pointed out that he was only eight years older than her, and that her research had already far surpassed his. Ever since that, he had made it his personal mission to ruin her professional life. “I am unfortunately very busy.” 

“Oh?” He asked, stepping in slightly. Her hands tightened on her scrub top, reminding her that she was only wearing pants and a bra. She, however, did not back up.   
She had held the bodies of children today, children who would never get another chance to laugh or play. She had seen men and women break down as every person they pulled out was gone, lost to Death. She had witnessed a grown man, a soldier with the blood of his enemies on his hands, cradle a hurt and innocent child against his chest as if he could fix her with his will alone. 

She had faced Death in the face and seen It’s work, and she refused to be scared of a pompous imbecile who thought he was a better doctor simply due to his gender.

“Yes, I am,” She said sharply, pulling the scrub top away from her chest and shoving her arms through it. She pulled it on, not caring if he saw anything. Modesty was a luxury she only afforded herself when she could. Now was not that time. 

“Heard that you brought back the person who caused the attack on the orphanage.” He pushed in again, trying to crowd her. Angela fought back a gulp and the wave of anger that rushed over her. She focused on trying to make sure she got the right paperwork she needed, the reports and various other pieces of bureaucracy that made the world go round. 

“My, my, rumors do fly around here, don’t they,” She hummed. “We did not bring back such a person. We did however, bring in a patient, who I have to get back to.” She double checked the papers, making sure she had everything. She didn’t want to have to leave Solana to come back here. She didn’t want to know how annoyed Reyes would be if he found out that she’d left the girl alone. 

“Oh? What kind? How are they presenting? Maybe, we could work together on this case,” He smirked, invading her personal space. His tone with the last sentence suggested something else entirely, and Angela had to fight back the nausea. If she was capable of hate, which she continuously reminded herself that she was not, she would hate this man. The thought of punching him did rush through her head, but violence was rarely the answer in civil disputes. 

She sighed and shook her head. “I’m sorry. It is not an impressive case, so I’m sure you will not be interested. Now, if you excuse me, I have to go.” 

“But what is it? Perhaps I should be the judge on its impressiveness?” He offered. She felt her shoulder tense at his proximity. Hitting him looked more and more attractive by the second. 

Before she could reply, or act, another voice cut in. “Doctor Ziegler,” an older Italian man said from her doorway, his bald head gleaming. “Can you explain why there is a very scary soldier sitting in the new patient’s room, asking for you? He has blood on his boots.” He smiled brightly at her. She felt Thompson lean away from her, giving her space. She bit back the sigh of relief. 

“Sorry, Doctor Tosto,” She said quickly, pressing the papers to her chest. “I was on my way back. Doctor Thompson was just offering some assistance with the case.” 

“Do you think you need help?” The head doctor asked, tilting his head sideways. 

“No sir. Or at least, not from Doctor Thompson,” She said quickly. “Unfortunately, the young girl with dealing with emotional trauma that is manifesting a catatonic state. I have the paperwork for a joint case with Psych department.” 

“Ah, I heard about the situation in Dorado. Poor girl. Only survivor?” He asked. 

“Yes sir. Agent Reyes was the one to find her.” 

“Ah, Reyes,” Doctor Tosto shook his head, amused. “The boy came to me a few months ago, asking if I knew how to fix a kitten’s leg. I’m not a vet, but I’m not a fool either. Splinted it and sent them on their way. Rumor has it, the kitten found itself in the arms of a small child on base. Smart man, making sure there was no way Lacroix could be rid of the pest.” 

Angela smiled. “Yes sir. He’s offering to help as well in this case.” 

“As if he can really do anything,” Thompson said shortly. He crossed his arms, rolling his eyes. “The man has no medical training.” 

“In this case, medical training is not a requirement.” Doctor Tosto said, shaking his head. “Doctor Ziegler, tell him that in this case, until she comes out of this state or become more aware, it is very similar to a coma patient. The best thing he can do is to be present. I suggest reading a book.” 

“Thank you, Doctor Tosto,” She said. “I am sure he will appreciate the help.” 

“Of course dear,” the old man side stepped. “Now off you go.” 

Angela nodded her thanks and rushed out of her office, down the hall. She slowed down as she entered the room. She didn’t want to burst in and startle Reyes. It didn’t seem polite or safe. 

As she entered, she heard a deep voice singing softly in Spanish. She paused, her eyebrows raising, as she stepped further into the room. 

Reyes had pulled the chair next to the bed and was holding Solana’s hand. He was leaned forward slightly, as if the weight of the world rested upon him, and he was singing something sounded like a lullaby. There was no reaction from Solana, her eyes still staring out. 

Angela froze, not wanting to interrupt. She was aware that she wasn’t probably supposed to be seeing this. Most soldiers would die before admitting to such a moment, and she didn’t know Reyes well enough to guess which one he was. 

He finished the song and looked up. “Got your paperwork?” He asked, not surprised at her presence. Angela felt slightly foolish. He had known she was there the entire time. 

She nodded, setting it down on the counter. “Yes, forgive me for taking so long.” 

“It’s okay. Old man Tosto came in. Told me that I had done a poor job on polishing my boots and tried to kick me out,” He just shook his head. “Told him I was waiting for you.” 

“He came to find me. Offered some advice. He says that if you wish to help, reading a book would probably be best. He said that at the moment, it’s very similar to someone in a coma.” 

“Books, huh?” Reyes rubbed his chin with his free hand. “I’ll have to see if I can’t find any good one. I’ll ask Ana.” 

Angela couldn’t help the smile on her face. “Right. Well, I’m here, and as Doctor Tosto said, you have blood on your boots. So go get cleaned up.” 

“Gotcha,” He rose, squeezed the little girl’s hand carefully and made his way out. He brushed pack Angela on his way, and she blinked at the little fissure of excitement that raced through her. It was unprofessional on her part to be attracted to any agent, and she knew it. Plus, she had done her little flight of fancy when she was in med school. Not a single one had ended well. 

She pushed it to the back of her mind and pulled the eating tray down next to the bed. She rearrange the chair to allow her to be able to write comfortably on the tray and settled down. She pulled out her pen and started to fill out the blanks.

She glanced over at Solana. The room was too quiet without Reyes’s presence and Angela felt guilty for not trying to fill it. She sighed and went back to her paperwork. 

“One thing they do not warn you when you choose to be a doctor,” She started, her voice gentle but exasperated, “is how much paperwork is involved.” 

She continued to fill out her paperwork, a steady stream of commentary rolling from her lips, filling the quiet room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so between last chapter and this chapter, Blizzard released Sombra officially, including her backstory. However, this story was already kind of plotted out before then, so we're gonna be ignoring the majority of it. Some important bits will make it in, but that's mainly because they were already teased out and incorporated before the release. Of course, I've obviously never been holding closely to canon, as you can see in this chapter since Angela is not the head of the medical department. 
> 
> That said, official Sombra is actually everything I have hoped for. I cannot wait until she is released for the PS4, because she will be all that I play for like a month straight. Period. I will get good with her. So yeah. I'm so excited!!


	6. Meetings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So far, this is probably my favorite chapter, just because of Amelie and Gabriel. They're kind of based on a friendship I have and I think it's hilarious. The only problem is how much French, Amelie speaks. Geesh woman!

“Doctor Ziegler, welcome,” Strike-Commander Lacroix said, ushering Angela in. “Something to drink? I have tea.” 

“No sir,” She said, fighting to still her hands. The only time she’d been in the commander’s office before had been when she was invited to join Overwatch, and that was with Doctor Tosto. She couldn’t imagine what she had done to be brought here. 

“You’re not in trouble, Doctor,” he said, a smile crossing his face. He settled into his chair behind his desk and gestured her to sit. “I just need your opinion on something.” 

“Of course,” She sat down, her back straight. “What is it about, sir?”

“It’s been a week since Dorado. How is the girl?” He asked, sympathetic.

“She is recovering, but it is a slow process.” Angela started. She wished she had more to say, but it was slow. 

In the past week, Solana had begun to actually pay attention to when people entered the room. Her eyes would track Reyes as he walked in and settled down. She was actually focusing on him as he read. She had started eating, with help though, but she actually ate. That as a relief to Angela, because she didn’t want to have to use a feeding tube.  
Everything was baby steps. The little girl was so broken, and Angela didn’t know how to fix this. She was a doctor of blood and shattered limbs, not of trauma and splintered souls. Luckily, Doctor Kalani Kekoa, one of the resident psychiatrist had been helping. 

“I see.” The commander leaned back. “Are our facilities enough? Do you think moving her to a new place would detrimental to her recovery?”

“Yes,” Angela answered vehemently. “Our facilities are not generally used for such cases, yes, and I’m sure that there are better hospitals that could aid her. But we’re too far into this now. Removing her from this environment will set back everything we have done so far, enough that I would wonder if she would ever recover.” 

It wasn’t just the facilities. It was Reyes. Solana only reacted when Reyes was there, and he was key to her recovery, both Angela and Kalani agreed.

“Is it the work we’ve done, or Gabriel?” Lacroix raised an eyebrow. “I’ve noticed that he spends quite a bit of time in the med bay. Were he anyone else, I’d accuse him of flirting with the doctors. However, I know what he’s doing. Would separating them cause more harm than good?” 

“Yes,” Angela nodded. She didn’t want to get Reyes in trouble, but he was now completely instrumental in Solana’s recovery. 

“That was what I was expecting.” The man sighed. “I’m hesitant to let him leave for missions. I hate to do it, but I’m going to have to chain him to desks and trainees.”

“In my honest opinion, sir, and I can’t say that I know Agent Reyes well, but I don’t think he’d fight you on this. Not now.” 

“No, I don’t think so too,” Lacroix grinned. “In fact, he might be one of the first agents to thank me for assigning them desk duty.” His grin fell. “Now, what do you suggest after she recovers?” 

Angela’s heart sank. “I – I don’t know sir.” She said quietly. “I’d suggest finding her a family to adopt her, but I don’t see that going well. Also, with the emotional attachment to Agent Reyes, any attempts to send her somewhere else may end in a relapse.” 

“So it would be wise to keep her near Reyes, if possible?” He asked. 

“I would say yes, but I’m not a psychiatrist. I suggest asking Doctor Kekoa regarding that.” 

“I understand. Now, one last question. Do you believe that Reyes would be to provide appropriate care for young Solana? If he were given custody of her?” Lacroix questioned staring at her. 

Angela blinked. There was no doubt in her mind that Reyes would do whatever he could to make Solana feel safe and happy. But, there was his job and his position to think about. A child would change everything, especially a damaged one like Solana. Also, she didn’t know Reyes well. This was the first time she’d spent any prolonged time with him, and he was usually reading to Solana. It wasn’t that she didn’t like him, or didn’t think that he would be good at being the little girl’s guardian. She just didn’t know if it was her place to say so. 

“Yes or no, Doctor, in your professional medical opinion.” He pushed slightly. 

“Yes,” She answered slowly. “He would be a wonderful guardian to her. But, I don’t know if he’d be interested in taking her in.” 

“I know he would,” Lacroix sighed again, shaking his head. “I knew that him adopting her was the end step when he carried her to the air ship.” 

“Then why ask me?” Angela asked, confused. 

“Because you’ve been watching. You’ve been there to see how much time he has devoted to little Solana. You’ve also been able to see how he treats her and how everything is going. That’s important. If you had any reservations regarding his capabilities, I’d say no and make other arrangements.” Lacroix smiled crookedly. “Of course, you didn’t, which means I have lost another bet to Liao.” 

“Oh,” She blinked. “What will happen now?” 

“Now, I have to take to Gabriel to see what he wants to do. Then, I go pay Liao and set up Reyes for desk duty. Thank you, Doctor. You are free to go.” Lacroix shook his head. 

“Every time with this kid,” He muttered under his breath, though amused. 

Angela rose, her confusion not yet abated, but she left. At least she knew where Solana would be from now on. She wondered if she should be happy about that. She wondered if Reyes will be happy that her words got him off the field. 

No matter what, it would make the next few days interesting. 

\---

“Reyes, come in,” Commander Lacroix said, ushering in Gabriel. Gabe just raised an eyebrow, suspicious. He had a feeling on what this meeting was about. 

“Am I in trouble, sir?” he asked, standing straight with his hands behind his back in front of the desk. Lacroix looked at his posture and sighed. 

“No, _mioche_ ,” Lacroix said quietly. “You have an idea about what this is about?” 

“The future of Solana Naranjo, I imagine,” Gabe answered, his voice brisk. He knew that there had been complaints regarding how much time he’d spent with the girl in the last week. Most of those complaints came from Jack, but Gabe generally ignored the Indiana boy.

Jack believed in a better world, but he saw it on too big of a scale. He saw it in mass, in countries and cities banding together and living in peace. Gabe saw it in a single person, the ability to make life better, even if it only reached a small area. One person changed everything, and that was how you made the world a better place. 

They had long since agreed to disagree on this particular point, which is why Gabe ignored him when Jack called him out when he spent so much time caring for one person. 

“You’re right. You have been spending a long time with her, assisting in her recovery, correct?” Lacroix sat down, shifting some paperwork in front of him. 

“Yes sir,” he answered. “She has been making progress.” 

“Slow progress though?” Lacroix asked. 

Gabe fought the urge to grit his teeth. “She is the sole survivor of a facility that held more than seventy people, nearly ninety percent of those being children near her age. There is a chance that a misstep on her behalf was the case behind that attack. Also, research in her past states that the reason as to why she was in the orphanage in the first place was due to the fact that her parents were murdered. There is a high chance she witnessed said murder. I’m personally surprised she’s recovering at all.” 

Lacroix nodded. “And what will happen when she recovers enough to leave Doctor Ziegler’s care?” 

Gabriel paused. He didn’t have an answer for that. He knew what he’d like, but he understood that that plan was very unlikely to happen. He knew the moment he got involved as deep in this as he had, that at one point he’d have to let the little girl go. He wasn’t thrilled about it, but he’d accepted it. 

“I would guess that she would be given to a family to continue the recovery process,” he answered calmly. 

“Yes, that is the plan. Do you have any idea as to where she should go?” Lacroix asked. 

The words ‘with me,’ were on the tip of Gabe’s tongue, but reality crashed down on him. He wasn’t foolish enough to suggest something that wasn’t going to happen. He would be consider unsuited to take care of her, mainly because of his position in Overwatch. Yes, Ana and Faheera stayed here together, but there was no question of custody there. Ana had no husband and she’s been disowned from her family years ago. There was no one else for Faheera to stay with. 

“With someone who has experience dealing with trauma.” Gabe answered instead, hands clenched behind his back. 

“I see.” Lacroix shifted his papers again. “I spoke to Doctor Ziegler. She stated that separating you and young Solana would be detrimental to the recovery process. Would you agree with this statement?” 

Gabe almost growled. Of course the doctor would make letting go harder. He didn’t need the hope that he’d be able to continue helping the girl. ‘Damn woman’, he thought sharply. 

“I don’t know, sir. I’m not a doctor.” He answered, his voice brisk. 

Lacroix nodded and opened his mouth to ask another question when his door burst open. Gabe turned to glare at the intruder. 

Amelié Lacroix completely ignored his look, strolling in to drop a handful of paperwork onto the desk. She shot her husband a bright grin, then turned to Gabriel.  
“ _Mon amour_ ,” She called, throwing an arm around Gabe’s neck. “When are we going to run away together?” 

As annoyed as Gabe was, he couldn’t help but smile. “ _Mi precisosa_ , your husband is still here. We promised not to talk about it.” 

“If it were anyone else, I’d actually be worried,” Lacroix called from behind his desk. 

“You should be worried, dearest husband!” Amelié stated, her voice offended. She flung herself across, Gabe, who grabbed her and held her up. She was bent over one of his arms, hair brushing the ground. One of her legs lifted into the air, while an arm draped over her forehead, the epitome of drama. “One of these days, you will sit and wonder, how did I lose my most beautiful wife? And then you will remember this day.” Gabe just stood there, holding her, highly amused. It was hard to be annoyed when Amelié decided to be dramatic. 

“Of course, dear.” Lacroix said, his voice dry. “I see all of this is in order, except the fact that I haven’t actually gotten consent for him yet.”

“Consent, sir?” Gabe asked, lifting Amelié back to her feet. She let go and spun away to perch on her husband’s desk. Lacroix had long since cleared a section away just for this purpose. Long legs crossed as she stared at him, confused. 

“You have not said yes, Gabriel? I’d imagine you would have jumped onto the chance,” She crossed her arms. “Are you saying that I went through all the work of gathering this paperwork, and you’re not even adopting the girl?” 

Gabe froze. “What?” He asked, hope swelling in his chest. “Adopting?” 

Lacroix sighed. “That was the point of this meeting. I wanted to see if you were willing to adopt Solana Naranjo.”

“He was dancing around the point, wasn’t he?” Amelié accused. “He does this, you know. _Mari insensé_ ,” She chided. 

“I didn’t realize that adoption was a possibility,” Gabe said quietly. “I’m not particularly qualified to assist her.” 

“Yes bu-“ Lacroix started, but Amelié interrupted. 

“Everything I have seen states that you are the most qualified. You care for this little girl. You have sacrificed your spare time to be with her and help her get better. The _joli docteur_ sings your praises for your commitment. So I see no problem with the whole thing. Which is why I spent too much time gathering these papers together. _Merde_ , do you know how hard it was to get the governments to agree with one another? Why do you think it took a week?” The French woman flipped her dark hair over a shoulder. “Honestly, _tu es con_ ” 

“Thanks Amelé,” Gabe said quietly “But work. Missions take time and I can’t care for a child while I'm out.” 

“Ana is capable,” Amelié shot back before Lacroix could answer. He sighed, leaning back in his chair. “She does it well. It’s called help, _idiot_.” 

“And who would help?” Gabe snapped, getting riled up. “The only one who has helped so far has been Ziegler, and she’s just as busy as I am.” 

“I have an answer, if you’re interested in listening,” Lacroix interjected, as Amelié jumped off the desk, ready to go toe to toe with Gabe. She paused, then settled back, leaning against the desk instead of sitting, a leopard ready to pounce. 

“Sir?” Gabe asked, his eyes locked on Amelié. It wouldn’t be the first time they’d have a yelling match. They were actually infamous for them, getting started on a topic and ending with random French and Spanish bouncing off the walls at ridiculous volumes. 

“At the moment, until young Solana is at a point in her recovery that she can be separated from you without suffering a relapse, you will be on desk duty. You’ll also be working with the trainees, trying to get them to a point of teamwork that isn’t completely dismal. At those times, Solana can spend time with Doctor Ziegler, or go to her therapy sessions with Doctor Kekoa. Is this a suitable solution?” 

Gabe contemplated it. Yes, desk duty was crap, but roaring at trainees would make up for it. He did enjoy working with the brats. But he couldn’t say yes, yet.

“May I have time to speak to Doctor Ziegler first?” He asked. “I don’t want to agree to it without her thoughts.” 

“Of course, _mioche_ ,” Lacroix agreed, while Amelié cooed “ _Jeune amour, donc adorbale_ "

Gabriel contemplated flipping her off, but resisted the urge. “Thank you, sir.” He turned to leave. 

As he walked out the door, he heard Amelié mutter, “You know he’ll be back with a pen, right?” 

“Leave him alone, _chérie_. This is a big decision. He’s making the right choices,” Lacroix answered, before the door swung closed. 

Gabriel bit back the smile and left to go find Ziegler.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations (Once again, I am so sorry to people who can actually speak Spanish and French.)  
> Mioche - French - Child, brat  
> Mon Amour - French - My love  
> Mi Precisoso - Spanish - My precious  
> Mari insensé - French - foolish husband  
> joli docteur - French - Pretty Doctor  
> Merde - French - Shit  
> tu es con - French - You're dumb  
> idiot - French - stupid  
> Jeune amour, donc adorbale - French - Young love, so adorable.  
> chérie - French - Sweetheart, Honey


	7. Adoption

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yesterday was a really bad day, so i didn't write. today was a little better. 
> 
> I tried my best with Solana's point of view, but I'm not sure if I got her right. Also, Jack is not a complete asshole. I may not like him, but he is still Gabriel's best friend. So I have to learn how to write him. 
> 
> Also, Ana is great. I love her.

Solana blinked as the door opened. She closed her eyes, wishing that she could go back to sleep. She knew he was back. He would sit down again, ask her a question, wait for an answer, and then start reading. It was hard for her. She just wanted to lay there, forget what happened, but he made it impossible. 

The first few times, she couldn’t even focus on what he was saying. All she could hear was his voice, calm and steady. It had taken a few times for her to actually be able to realize that he was reading a book. It seemed so strange to her. Why should anyone care about her?

After that, she’d been able to bring herself to look around, to see where the voice was coming from. He always sat where she didn’t have to move her head to see him comfortable. He sat facing the door, black hoodie and beanie, as if there was the only place he had to be. Every day, for what seemed like forever, he was there, his voice filling the room. 

Every once in a while, it wasn’t him, but the blonde woman. She would do the doctor things, checking the machines and Solana’s vitals. She was also the one who fed her. All Solana would remember of her was something about angels. Angels didn’t help monsters like her. 

Today seemed different though. Both of them were there at the same time, already having a conversation. They were speaking fast, and Solana didn’t have the focus to be able to catch everything. It took too much energy, but she caught something about her and someone named Reyes. She blinked again. She thought she had heard something about adoption. 

She glanced over, not moving her head. He was standing there, arms crossed, face almost glaring but not quite. The blonde woman was smiling, a pen twirling in her hand, holding it out to him. He scowled at her. 

“Shouldn’t I ask her?” He said, his voice finally slow enough for her to be able to follow. 

“Of course,” the woman said, her face falling. “But all the other reasons you’ve given are not good enough. You’re simply scared.” His scowl deepened, but she didn’t look disturbed. She just shook her head. “Ask her,” She said quietly. “But do not make a decision because you don’t think you are good enough to   
care for her.” 

He growled, but nodded, “Fine, I will, Doc. Happy?” 

Her eyes narrowed. “Do not call me doc, and I will be thrilled, Reyes.” The doctor shoved the pen to his chest and stormed out of the room. 

Oh. His name was Reyes. She felt as if she had known that, but couldn’t bring herself to care. It was too much work. She watched as he glared out after the doctor, sliding the pen into his pocket. He settled down into his chair and pulled out his tablet. He opened it up, probably to the book, but stopped. He looked over to her. 

“ _Hola_ , Solana,” He said quietly, his voice as calm as ever. He took a deep breath. “I know that you can hear me. I’m not asking for an answer. I understand that you don’t want to wake up, and to be honest kiddo, I don’t blame you. But there is something I need to ask you.” He paused leaning forwards, his hand reaching over to touch her hair. Usually he pat her hand, but this is the first time he played with her hair. “At some point, if Ziegler and Kekoa have their way, you’re going to get better. You’ll make a recovery and get released from this place. But there is always a question of what will happen after.” 

She closed her eyes. She didn’t want to go to back to an orphanage. She didn’t even want to breathe. 

“I know, _ninita_ , I know,” He murmured. “There is an option. I want to ask you before I said yes, but you don’t have to give me an answer right now, but there is a possibility of myself adopting you.” 

She opened her eyes slowly, sluggishly trying to process his words. She looked at him, eyebrow furrowing. She couldn’t understand what he was saying. 

He seemed to understand that that she wasn’t following. “May I adopt you?” He asked, his voice gentle. “It’s up to you.” 

She blinked again. Adoption meant a home. It also meant more people to die. She was bad luck, a curse, and people around her died. She didn’t know if she wanted that. She didn’t deserve to be happy. Reyes worked hard to take care of her, to make her feel human, and she didn’t want him to die because of it.  
Tears welled up in her eyes. She didn’t have the strength to wipe them away, but he noticed them. He reached and wiped them away. 

“It’s okay, _ninita_. Are these happy tears?” He asked, watching her. Her face twisted slightly and he nodded. “So why the sad tears, little one?” 

Her hands twitched, attempting to clench. She wanted to tell him, explain everything, but she couldn’t. She couldn’t get the words out and she hated everything, including herself. 

He noticed. “It’s okay, _ninita_. It’s okay. If this isn’t a good idea, then that’s fine. If you don’t want to stay, that’s okay too,” His voice didn’t change, staying calm and gentle. “We’ll make sure that you’re happy.” 

“Why?” She croaked out, finally getting her mouth to form words. She coughed slightly, her voice raspy from disuse. She was frustrated, feeling like she couldn’t do anything, completely worthless. She wished she had just died with everyone else. 

Reyes’s eyebrows rose, obviously shocked. He ran his fingers through her hair and sighed. “Because you need a place to stay. When you get well enough to leave, you’ll need to be given a home and care, because unfortunately this road to recovery is a long one. I want to make sure you’re okay. I almost understand where you’ve been too. I know what it’s like to want to die. I know what it’s like to have to relearn how to live. I don’t want you to do that by yourself.” 

She blinked and took a deep breath. Tears streamed down her face. She didn’t want him die, and she didn’t want to have hope anymore. She tried to curl in on herself, forcing her limbs to move. She just wanted to die. 

“Shh, _ninita_ ,” He said quietly. “Shh.” He continued running his fingers through her hair, letting her cry. “It’s okay, little one. It’s okay.” She let her eyes close, focusing on steady rhythm of his voice, letting it wash over her. 

\----

Gabe sat down in the base cafeteria, setting his tray down. He cracked open his soda and took a sip. Solana was in a session with Kekoa, and he got kicked out of the room. He’d sat with her for over an hour, trying to keep her calm. Poor girl was falling apart. Doctor Kekoa said that this reaction was actually a good sign, showing that she was progressing out of her catatonic state. This was a symptom of Solana getting better. It didn’t make him feel any better though. 

“There are rumors floating around about you, Gabriel,” A woman said, her voice amused. Ana Amari settled down beside him. He smiled at her, though it didn’t reach his eyes. 

“Ah, is Amelié spreading lies again?” He asked. Ana shook her head. 

“No. it is about you and the little girl you pulled out of Dorado,” She said, stirring her tea. “They say you are planning on adopting her?” 

“I don’t know,” He replied, sipping his soda. “I would like to, but-“ He paused. 

“But you are scared,” She supplied, nodding. “You understand the weight of your request and you fear your inability to fill the role. I understand.”

Gabe snorted. “Am I that transparent? Ziegler said almost the same thing.” 

“She sees it too. She also sees that this is the best route for you and the little one. You do yourself a grave disservice, thinking you are not capable of being a good father.” 

“Ana, I don’t know how. I didn’t grow up with a shining example,” he said shortly. He didn't feel any need to even try to hide from the captain. She was too observant to trick, and she knew him too well. 

“You see your shortcomings. This is good. It means that you have thought of yourself in that capacity,” Ana took a sip, “Gabriel, you should not fear this decision. You have seen bad fathers, you have seen good role models, and you know what this little girl needs. She needs someone who will be strong and steady, who will be there for when the darkness comes too close. You are that person.” Ana smiled “Also, you have help. You may have noticed, but I am raising a young girl myself. Also, I do not see Doctor Ziegler being able to separate herself from this as well.” 

“Haha, I have noticed your brat. Where is she?” He cast a look around the cafeteria, looking for the little girl. He immediately found her, perched on Reinhardt’s shoulders. She was giggling so hard that the only way she was still there was the fact he was holding her up, laughing as well. 

“He does well with her,” Ana said, following Gabe’s gaze. “And, he is very handsome.”

Gabe fake-gagged. “No, Ana, no. I don’t need that in my head.” 

She blithely continued. “I am a sucker for a man with broad shoulders. Also, big hands. You know what they say about big ha-“

“And suddenly, I’m not hungry anymore,” He said, rising quickly. She laughed, a tad evil, but he grinned at her.

“But, in all honesty Gabriel?” She said quietly. “You are a good man. I will help you with whatever you need.” 

“Thank you, Captain.” Gabe answered, touched. “That means more than you know.” 

\---

“Gabe!” 

Gabe looked up as he locked his room from where he picked up his tablet, watching Jack jog up. He nodded at the other soldier, a smile on his face. “Hey, Jack, what’s up?”

“Have you heard the rumor?” Jack asked, falling into step with him as Gabe began walking. 

“About Ana and Reinhardt? Dude, I’m trying to keep the imagery away! Don’t remind me,” Gabe said, rolling his eyes.

“No, about you adopting the girl from Dorado!” Jack shot back. “Is it true?”

“Not yet,” Gabe answered honestly. “I asked her whether she thought it was a good idea, but she isn’t in a place to be able to answer me. I probably will, though, why.” 

“You realize that there is a good chance you’ll be sidelined if you do, right?” Jack said, eyebrows raised. Gabe nodded. 

“Lacroix already mentioned it. Paperwork and trainees. Not the worst job though.” 

“Gabe, you’re a super-solider. You aren’t meant to be chained to a desk,” Jack shook his head. “Who is going to watch my back if you aren’t there?”

“Liao, most likely.” Gabe answered. He shrugged. “Jack, I’m okay with being behind a desk. I’m okay with working with the trainees. I actually like the trainees. So it’s not the end of the world.” 

Jack sighed. “Are you sure you want to take one the responsibility of a kid? Are you even able to take care of her? I mean, she’s got to be traumatized.” 

“She is,” Gabe answered with a nod. “I’ve been sitting with her since she was admitted to the hospital, trying to help. She’s making progress, actually. And as far as if I’m able, I don’t know. But Amelié and Lacroix already have the paperwork ready, Doctor Ziegler and Kekoa have bother vouched for me, and Ana said that if I need any advice, I can go to her. I’m not the worst choice in the world.” 

Jack stopped, staring at him. “You’re not, but you aren’t the best either,” He said quietly. 

Gabe turned and tilted his head. He didn’t feel any anger over Jack’s words. Out of anyone in Overwatch, Jack was probably the one who’d seen him at his worst, and knew if he’d be a good fit. 

“I know the blood I have on my hands,” Gabe replied, his voice equally quiet. “That’s why I’m making sure I have Ana, and Ziegler, and Kekoa. That’s why I’m building a safety net for her. You and I both know I’m not the best choice. But at this point, I’m honestly the only one.” 

Jack nodded, mulling over his words. “You’ve thought about this,” He said quietly. 

“A lot,” Gabe replied. “I’m not taking any chances that I might hurt her, or make her condition worse. I’m doing my best here, Jack.” 

“Alright. I’m still pissed I’m gonna have to have two-swords-crazy pants watching my six, but I’ll live.” Jack sighed. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay in the field?”

“I’m sure, dude. And you’ll be fine. Heck, Liao might not even poke you with a sword.” Gabe laughed. Jack rolled his eyes. 

“Don’t lie to me, man.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor translations, again!
> 
> ninita - Spanish - Little girl (there is supposed to be an accent mark over the second n, but i couldn't figure out how for the life of me. Sorry!)

**Author's Note:**

> Okie dokie, I'm playing seriously loose and fast with canon, but a lot of the official Blizzard canon doesn't make much sense. So this story will be my view of the lore of Overwatch. 
> 
> It will be slightly shippy. Gabriel and Angela will have a very close relationship, with Angela basically being Sombra's mother. I have worked very hard on the age gaps between everyone, so nothing crosses any lines. Gabriel in this chapter is 29 while Angela is 22. Still a large gap, but not large enough to be squicky. Any other questions on ages can be answered through comments. 
> 
> Mioche - French- Brat, Kid  
> Félicitations - French - Congratulations  
> As of right now, that is the only ship I'm sure on. Other ships may be added later as the story develops. 
> 
> This is Nanowrimo of 2016


End file.
